Track-sanding device for street-cars



( 0 Model.)

L. A. LUOIER.

TRACK SANDING DEVICE FOR STREET CARS. No. 590,994. Patented 0013.5,1897.

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L.A.Luc1'er.

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Nrrn STATES PATENT rricn.

LOU-IS A. LUCIER, OF \VORCEbTER, MASSAOIIUSE'I"S.

TRACK-SANDING DEVICE FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,994, dated October 5, 1897.

Application filed December 10., 1896. Serial No. 615,091. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs A. LUCIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Track-Sanding Devices for Street-Cars, of which, the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a track-sanding device for st: eet-cars; and the especial object of my invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and inexpensive form of track-sanding device in which the sand may be agitated or desiccated, so as to prevent the same from freezing or caking up. 7

To these ends myinvention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a street-car provided with a track-sanding device constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, and Fig. 3 is a detail view, illustrating a form of clutch which I may r em ploy.

A track-sanding device constructed according to my invention comprises a casing for holding sand, a spoutleading down to the track from said casing, and a rotary agitator which is journaled in the casingand is preferably geared to and driven from the car-axle.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, A designates a car-body which is mounted on the wheels B to run on the tracks 0 in the ordinary manner.

Track'sanding devices constructed according to my invention are preferably located substantially at diagonally opposite corners of the car-body, one sanding device being used when the car is moving in one direction and the other sanding device being employed when the car is moving in the opposite direction.

The casing 10 of my sanding device is preferably secured to the under side of thefloor of the car and is provided with a hopper 12, which may extend up under the car-seat in position to be readily filled.

As most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the bottom of the casing 10 slopes or is inclined outwardly and is provided at its lowest point with a spout 13, leading down to the track 0. Journaled in the casing 10 is a shaft 14, which is provided with a plurality of projecting arms or disks.

The arms are preferably staggered or setone in advance of the other, so as to keep the sand thoroughly cut up while the shaft 14 is being rotated.

The gearing which I employ for rotating the shaft 14 preferably comprises a sprocketwheel15,which is secured upon the car-axle 16. The sprocket-wheel 15 is connected to and actuatesa sprocket-wheel 18 upon a countershaft 19 by means of a driving-chain 17.

In practice the body A of an electric car is mounted on springs, so as to he capable of a considerable movement independent of the axles. On this account I preferably have the driving chain 17 extend substantially horizontally, as I have found that this location will permit the greatest possible amount of motion between the car and its axle without straining or breaking the drivingcha-in.

Meshing with and driven from a gear 20, carried by the sprocket-wheel 18, is a gear 21, loosely mounted on one of the shafts 14. The gear 21, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3, is provided with an extending hub, which is adapted to form one member of a frictionclutch, the other member of the frictionclut-ch being formed by a sleeve 22, which may be spliced upon the shaft 14 in the ordinary manner and-may be shifted intoand out of engagement with the gear 21 bymeans of a fork or operating-handle 23, which may extend out in position to be actuated from the side of the car. ,By means of this construction it'will be seen that when the parts of the friction-clutch are brought into engagement the shaft 14 will be rotated and the sand in the casing 10 will be thoroughly cut up or can cated so that it cannot possibly freeze or hecome hardened and caked together.

To regulate the flow of sand through the spout 13, I preferably provide a valve 24 and connections for operating said valve from the car-platform. As illustrated, these operating connections comprise a handle 2-5, which is provided With suitable rack-teeth upon its front for setting the valve in different positions. The handle 25 is connected to a bellcrank lever 26, and the valve 24 is connected To a bell-crank lever 28. The bell-crank levers 26 and 28 are connected together by means of a link 27. By means of this construction itwill be seen that the flow of sand from the sanding devices can be readily and quickly controlled from the car-platform, that the sand will be allowed to escape in exactly such quantities as desired, and, as the sand in the casing is kept thoroughly agitated or cut up, a free flow and delivery of sand from the spout is insured.

I am aware that changes may be made in the construction of my track-sanding devices for street-cars by those who are skilled in the art, and I do not Wish, therefore, to be limited to the forms which I have shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a track-sanding device for street-cars,

the combination of a casing adapted to be secured to the under side of a car, and having an inclined bottom, a spout 13 leading from the lowest point of said casing, a Valve 24, connections for operating said valve from a car-platform, a shaft 14 journaled in the casing 10 and having a plurality of extending arms or disks for stirring sand in said casing, and connections comprising a driving-chain and sprocket-wheels for driving the shaft 14 from the car-axle, substantially as described.

2. In a track-sanding device for street-cars, the combination of a casing 10 having an inclined bottom, a spout 13 leading from the lowest point in said casing, a valve 24, connections for operating said valve com prising the handle 25 and bell-crank 26 carried by the car-platform, the bell-crank 28 connected to the valve, and the link 29 connecting said bell-cranks, a shaft 14 journaled in the casing 10 and having a plurality of extending arms or disks for stirring the sand in said.

casing, and connections comprising a drivingchain and sprocket-Wheels for driving the shaft 14 from the car-axle, substantially as described.

3. In a track-sandin g device for street-cars, the combination of a casing 10 having an inclined bottom, a filling-hopper 12 carried by said casing and adapted to extend up under the seats of a street-car, a spout 13 leading from the lowest point of said casing, a valve 24, operating connections for said valve comprising a handle 25, and bell-crank 26 carried by the car-platform, the bell-crank 28 connected by a link tooperate the valve, and a link 27 connecting said bell-cranks, a shaft 14 journaled in the casing 10 and having a plurality of extending arms or disks for stirring sand in said casing, and driving connections for said shaft 14 comprising sprocket-wheel 15 secured to a car-aXle, and connected to actuate a sprocket-Wheel 18 secured on a counter-shaft 19, gears 20 and 21 for connecting the shafts 14 and 19, said gear 21 being adapted to form one member of a friction-clutch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS A. LUCIER.

Witnesses:

PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE, LoUIs W. SOUTHGATE. 

